Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly approved plans for the full military conquest and occupation of the Gaza Strip, marking a dangerous new escalation in the ongoing assault on the besieged enclave. According to Israeli media outlet N12, a senior Israeli official confirmed:

“We are going to conquer the Gaza Strip. The decision has been made. Hamas will not release more hostages without an absolute surrender, and we will not surrender. If we don’t act now, the hostages will die of starvation and Gaza will also remain under Hamas control.” Ironic. Who is causing forced starvation? Who is not letting aid in? 

The strategy reportedly includes ground entry into central camps and Gaza City, areas previously avoided by Israeli forces due to heavy civilian presence and the risk to hostages. The goal is said to be the total dismantling of Hamas, even at the risk of further civilian casualties.

Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that U.S. President Donald Trump has given Netanyahu a green light for a “powerful military operation.” This political backing from Washington reinforces Netanyahu’s continued defiance of growing global pressure for a ceasefire.

A harrowing investigation by the BBC World Service has uncovered evidence of more than 160 Palestinian children shot by Israeli forces, with 95 shot in the head or chest. Most of them are under the age of 12.

The BBC report stated

“Some of the children were allegedly shot while fleeing battle zones, but many others were shot while playing outside their tents in humanitarian zones. Some were in areas the IDF themselves had marked as evacuation corridors.”

 

The cases span from the early weeks of the war through July 2025, painting a devastating picture of the cost borne by Gaza’s most vulnerable population.

In a separate report from Gaza-based sources, dozens of starving Palestinians were reportedly killed and wounded by Israeli gunfire while attempting to access food near the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza.

Emergency workers on the ground were overwhelmed by the volume of casualties, with many of the wounded unable to receive immediate medical attention.

Gaza continues to suffer under an intensifying famine, with at least 180 people confirmed dead from starvation and malnutrition. Many of the deceased perished while trying to collect humanitarian aid, which remains deliberately restricted under Israel’s ongoing blockade.